Waiting
by StarTraveler
Summary: As everything starts to change around her Darien tries to keep up hope. Takes place while The Nathan James is still in the arctic.


Disclaimer: The Last Ship belongs to TNT.

AN: This idea has been in my head for quite a while although I gotta admit I never did care for Tom's wife that much. Unbeated.

Darien Chandler had always hated when everything was quiet, it always gave a person way too much time to think too much.

She hated things being quiet when it was dark out, sudden noises made her jump.

She never had liked her father in law's cabin or that it was surrounded by a wooded area. Even though there was a fence and an alarm system that still didn't make her feel better.

It had been ten days since she and her children had arrived at the insistence of her father in law Jed.

And with the threat of the red flu growing it looked like they'd be living here for quite a while.

Footage of the virus was terrifying and it was spreading so quickly, first there had been reports from Norway.

Governments had tried to pass it off as Ebola but it spread to quick and the media blackout crumbled.

Soon it seemed like every country was in shambles, economies crumbling, governments losing control, and the body count rapidly rising.

It had arrived in America last month and no one knew what to do, riots had broken out, prices were rising, the government had all but vanished.

Two weeks ago it had hit Norfolk.

Communication was becoming impossible so she didn't know about most of her relatives, except her sister who had been on vacation in London, which had been decimated.

She didn't know about the rest of Tom's family either.

Tom, it had been nearly three months since his ship Nathan James had set out on its mission to the arctic.

She had nightmares of the red flu as it had been named spreading throughout the ship killing everyone.

She tried to keep telling herself they were ok, that they had left long before the infection came so he and his crew were safe.

Darien walked inside and found Jed asleep in his favorite recliner, and she put a blanket over him.

She was heading for her room when she heard soft crying; she looked into the room to see her son.

"Oh Sam." She walked to him and hugged him.

He was holding a photo of him and his best friend Lucas Slattery, Lucas was the son of Mike Slattery who was the first officer on the Nathan James.

Lucas had somehow gotten infected on a boy scouts camping trip and the entire troop including the scout master had died.

Sam had been supposed to go but had gotten strep throat and wasn't able to, Darien's heart still constricted at how she could've lost him.

Her heart ached for Christine and her two daughters who were now at a safe zone. She hoped they were still all right.

"Mommy I miss Lucas."

"I know baby, we've lost so much everyone in the world has."

"I want daddy back."

"Me too little man me to."

"Is he safe?"

"Of course he is, his ship is still in the arctic, they left long before the virus found its way here."

"What if he thinks we're all dead?"

"He won't" Darien replied, putting all her faith into her words, "I wrote him a note saying we're at the cabin, I left it on the refrigerator so when he gets home he'll see it."

She kissed his forehead, "Of course maybe he'll decide to come here first, he'll never stop until he finds us, any trace he can find."

"Even if it takes years and years?"

"Hopefully not that long."

"Mommy what if it takes him so long he meets another woman and falls in love with her?"

Darien tried not to flinch at the thought of that, besides her babies, Tom was her reason for existing.

The thought of him, his heart beatings for another, she could barely fathom it.

"No matter what Sammy we'll always be a family."

She held him until he fell asleep and then went to check on Ashley, her heart ached as she saw the dried tears on her daughter's cheeks.

She had found out earlier that day two of her friends had died.

She kissed Ashley's forehead gently then slipped outside to look back up at the stars, wondering, hoping, that somehow in that moment, Tom was doing the same thing on the ship.

"Damn it Tom, why can't your mission get done early? We need you so much."

She then thought of Sam's earlier fears and tears slid silently down her cheeks.

"Please just be safe."


End file.
